Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Returns vs. Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters
is a V-Cinema release for Go-Busters, serving as a little epilogue for the series. The direct-to-video film became available for sale on June 21, 2013. Synopsis December 31st, 2012 It is a happy day at the Energy Management Center as the Go-Busters, support staff and Buddyroids prepare for the upcoming New Year. However this is interrupted when a sensor goes off detecting an unusual energy signal. The lack of Enetron or reaction from the Lio Attaché confirms that the source isn't the Vaglass, but the Go-Busters head out to investigate anyway. As the Buster Machines form into Go-Buster Ace and Go-Buster King, a menacing being who looks like nothing the Go-Busters have ever faced before starts blasting the city and the mecha from a dark cloud. The two robos attempt to blast the enemy out of the sky, however they have no effect with he monsterous creature then returning fire and crippling the mecha. The Go-Busters are ejected from the MegaZords, and the monster shrinks himself down to face his opponents. He introduces himself as the Great Demon Lord Azazel, sent down to destroy the world. Clearly enormously powerful, the Go-Busters realize they'll have to take him down quickly and waste no time initiating Powered Custom. However even with that, he manages to shake off their special attacks as well as blocking Masato and J's finisher. Azazel causes the Go-Busters to de-transform, announces his intention to destroy the world then plunges his scythe into the ground causing explosions that kills the Go-Busters and destroys their Buddyroids (with Nick being the last to die). As the Energy Management Center Kuroki, Morishita and Nakamura watch horrified. Nakamura notes down that on 31st December 2012 at 1:13pm, the Go-Busters were wiped out. Nick suddenly finds himself in a vast white void where he encounters none other than Kami-sama (who bears an uncanny resemblence to Enter) and is told that he is dead... but his day isn't all that bad, as he is lucky enough to be the 1,000,000th death that year (with J standing nearby as the runner-up as the 999,999th death) and is told that as a prize he gets a wish (naturally, J just wants to wish for more Enetron). Nick initially wishes for Azazel to be destroyed, but Kami-sama refuses to kill anyone. Nick then wishes that, thirteen years earlier, Messiah didn't go out of control so the Go-Busters would never need to be formed and therefore won't have to die on December 31st 2012. Kami-sama agrees and the wish is granted, causing Nick and J to disappear. A New World Nick finds himself back in Hiromu's garage on the morning they first went to the Energy Management Center. Nick runs to find Hiromu and sees him frozen in place. At first Nick thinks his wish didn't work until its revealed that Hiromu wasn't frozen but just scared of a cockroach. Also present are Hiromu's parents alive and well, and the three have breakfast. Nick is happy that he's now living in a peaceful world, but wonders what happened to everyone else and where J went. It's still a big day for Hiromu as he's due to start a new job, and he leaves in a hurry with Nick. As the two travel down the road, they nearly collide with Yoko who is now wearing a school uniform. She and Hiromu, having never met before, exchange angry words before continuing down their respective roads. Nick is shocked when he arrives at his destination and finds that where the EMC used to be there is now the EMC College Agricultural High School where Hiromu is a teacher-in-training. Kuroki is the principal with Morishita and Nakamura as his assistants, and he introduces Ryuuji as the physical education teacher who is around to help out should Hiromu need a hand. As Nick is amazed to see alternate versions of everyone he knew, Ryuuji shows Hiromu to his class where he explains that Enetron (which also exists in this world) is analysed to see if it can be made to work with the power of animals. Hiromu arrives at his class where many of the female students quickly get a crush on him... but also finds Yoko in the class who is still unimpressed with him. Afterwards, Hiromu goes down to the grounds and is introduced to the head laboror, none other than Masato (twenty years older than Nick knew him). J is also there, helping Masato out. Nick confirms that J still has his memories from the other world, but J couldn't care anyway and is happy just working for Masato. Nick also encoutners Gorisaki and Usada, however both are just LaborRoids with basic programming and no personalities. He is also surprised to find other differences; Hiromu is fine with chickens, Ryuuji prefers to keep his temperature up and Yoko doesn't eat much claiming she's on a diet. Nick notes to J later that although this world is peaceful, he can't help but feel that its wrong. As far as J is concerned, he (J) is fine and that's all that's important. Suddenly, the city is attacked by the Machine Empire Mechalius (whose members look uncannily like the forces of Vaglass) led by Machine Empress Trange Star (who looks strangely identical to Escape) who intends to convert all living beings on Earth into machines. She sends her minion Shoveloader to lead the way. To combat their new enemy, Kuroki and Masato assemble Hiromu, Yoko and Ryuuji and take them to an underground base underneath the school and reveal they always knew the Machine Empire would attack and want them to fight alongside Masato as the Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters. Hiromu doesn't believe he has what it takes to fight, but Nick (who doesn't know what to be more surprised about) assures Hiromu he has what it takes. As Shoveloader attacks the city Hiromu, Yoko, Ryuuji, Masato and J all arrive and transform into the Go-Busters (who have black visors instead of colored ones, with the exception of J who uses the Morphin Blaster from the original world). The heroes introduce themselves as Red Cheetah, Blue Gorilla, Yellow Rabbit, Gold Beet and Silver Stag then take on their foes. After defeating his minions, the Go-Busters take on Shoveloader himself and destroy him with the Animal Bazooka (which Nick previously knew as the Lio Attaché). Unfortuantely, Trange Star is ready for this and has Maintanloader inject Shoveloaders remains with Bikkuri Oil, which revives the machine and grows it to a gigantic size. At the base, Kuroki decides to send out the untested Go-Buster Animal, a giant mecha, into battle. Nick, surprised to find this world has mechas too, doesn't understand how they can operate since Gorisaki and Usada are LaborRoids. Kuroki, Nakamura and Morishita are ready, and insert discs containing new programming into the LaborRoids making them SupportRoids (Nick gets one installed too, even though he doesn't need one). After Nick reunites with his friends, who don't understand why he's so friendly towards them, the three enter Go-Buster Oh and take it to the city. Once it arrives Hiromu, Ryuuji and Yoko board the MegaZord and battle ShoveLoader, soon destroying it with an Animal Impact. And so, the legend that is the Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters begins... Episode 5 - A Deepening Bond Hiromu saves Yoko when she nearly falls off a cliff. When he pulls her up, she thanks him and there is a brief spark of attraction, something the two quickly attempt to deny. Later Hiromu and Ryuuji have a physical fight over whose beliefs regarding their situation is correct. The two eventually knock each other to the ground, then agree that a mutual respect has developed and decide to become friends as Yoko, Masato and J watch on. Episode 15 - A New Wind: The Stormy Green The Go-Busters are on the ropes as they battle a difficult enemy. Just as their opponent is about to finish them off an unfamiliar man by the name of Atsushi Domyoji announces himself to be the sixth Go-Buster. He then transforms into the Green Hippopotamus. Yoko is immediately attracted to him, much to Hiromu's dismay. Episode 28 - Friend or Foe? The Mysterious Female Warrior! Red Cheetah has encounted an unusual woman who goes by the name of Pink Cat. She warns that Atsushi will take Yoko from him if he isn't careful. Hiromu demands to know who she is, and she reveals herself to be none other than his sister. Episode 37 - Farewell, Green Wind! The Go-Busters have won the day, but at a terrible cost as Atsushi lays dying from his injuries. As the others implore with him to recover, Atsushi revives just long enough to telll Hiromu to take care of the rest. He then dies, and Hiromu screams in heartbroken despair as the other Go-Busters mourn the loss of their comrade. Episode 38 - A New Force! The Black Gale! The Go-Busters are in dire straits as their mecha is unable to defeat their latest enlarged foe in battle and Tategami Lioh can't be summoned without Atsushi. With no other choice, Kuroki decides to go into battle himself using a previously hidden Morphin Brace to transform into the Black Puma. He then takes Tategami Lioh into the fight and the team forms Go-Buster Perfect Animal to defeat their foe. Episode 49 - Dōbutsu Sentai! Into Eternity! It is the final battle against Machine Empress Trange Star, and although she is powerful the Go-Busters, now partnered with Pink Cat, refuse to yield. They summon the Animal Bazooka and combine all their powers to fire a blast that finally destroys Trange Star and ends the Machine Empire for good. December 31st, 2012 It is a happy day at the EMC College Agricultural High School as the Go-Busters, staff and SupportRoids prepare for the upcoming New Year. As they do so, Nick (who hasn't thought about the world he came from for months) can't help but feel that this has happened before. Suddenly a sensor goes off detecting an unusual energy signal, and Nick is hoping it isn't what he thinks it is. Knowing it can't be Mechalius, the Go-Busters head out to investigate as Nick is filled with a sense of dread. Indeed, it is Azazel who is exactly the same in this world. Things happen exactly as before, with the Go-Busters' mecha being easily defeated causing its pilots to eject. On the ground, Azazel declares his intentions to destroy the Earth and the Go-Busters use the SupportRoids to utilize their Animal Perfect Mode armor hoping to quickly defeat their foe. However Azazel easily overpowers the Go-Busters and kills them all along with the SupportRoids, with Nick once again being the last to die. He laments that its ended like this before he explodes... Nick wakes up back in the white void with Kami-sama, who congratulates him on again being the 1,000,000th death that year, since he died at exactly the same time as before (and, yet again, J is the runner-up). Kami-sama offers Nick another wish, but Nick refuses; everything in the new world was pretty much the same as the old one despite the differences, and no matter what the Go-Busters are doomed to die on New Years Eve 2012. J decides that if Nick isn't going to use his wish, then he can use it to get Enetron. An exasperated Nick can't help but envy J's simplistic view, and tells the Buddyroid that it'll just be gone soon enough. J then says he'll have twice as much then, which gives Nick an idea. Nick asks Kami-sama if he can be returned to his original world. When Kami-sama confirms he can, Nick asks if he can take the Dōbutsu Sentai with him. J is confused, and Nick explains that he believes that if the Dōbutsu Sentai and Tokumei Sentai join forces they should be able to destroy Azazel; his recent experience has taught him that if one wants to change the future, they can't change the past but must do it themselves and work towards something better. With that, Nick makes his wish... for him and the Dōbutsu Sentai to be sent to the original world on December 31st 2012 just as Azazel attacked. Kami-sama agrees, and the wish is granted. Back home Back in the original world, the Go-Busters are in the midst of their futile battle against Azazel. Just as Hiromu is defeated and the Go-Busters are about to be destroyed, the darkness clears and Nick catches Hiromu as he falls. Hiromu is then astounded as he sees another team of Go-Busters approaching. Both versions of Hiromu ask for an explanation, and Nick just tells them he'll explain later. The Go-Busters each acknowledge their counterpart (except for J, who just reminds everyone that he is himself), and then do a double-transformation and roll call with J having to run over to take his place in both. The two teams then begin fighting Azazel, and the evil creature finds himself quite unable to take out two teams of Go-Busters instead of one. Backed into a corner, Azazel uses his scythe to blast the collected Go-Busters, leading them to realize that the scythe is his weak spot since he uses it to collect energy. Knowing this, both Hiromu use the Volcanick Attack and destroy the scythe. The Tokumei Sentai then use the Lio Attaché and Ichigan Busters while the Dōbutsu Sentai use the Animal Bazooka to blast and defeat Azazel. The battle is not over yet as Azazel returns to his giant size. With Go-Buster Ace and Go-Buster King down, the Dōbutsu Sentai decide to summon Go-Buster Perfect Animal from their world to fight and invite the Tokumei Sentai to join them in the cockpit. Azazel takes on Perfect Animal but finds himself far weaker with his scythe gone. The Go-Busters then use a Miracle Flash to summon the power of all the various robo combinations, and the combined power manages to finally destroy Azazel once and for all. Epilogue With the battle over, the two teams prepare to say goodbye to each other, with the Dōbutsu Sentai now aware they're from an alternate world created by Nick. Ryuuji asks what will happen to the Dōbutsu Sentai now, and the alternate Masato has worked out that since the original Go-Busters didn't die and Nick didn't make his wish, the alternate world was never created; alas, the Dōbutsu Sentai will soon cease to exist. This saddens the others, especially Nick, but the Dōbutsu Sentai assures their counterparts that there is no greater honor than getting to save the world. Hiromu promises that he and the others will continue to protect the world they've saved, and with that the Dōbutsu Sentai disappear from existence. The Go-Busters decide to head home to celebrate the New Year, with Nick remaining behind to give a final goodbye to the team he fought alongside. After the credits, the Go-Busters thank the viewers for their support promising to return again some day... Plot ''to be added Continuity and Placement *Cheeda Nick makes this wish just before New Years, placing this special between the defeat of Escape and Messiah Reboot on Christmas and before the endgame events starting from New Years' Day. , placing this special during the events of the series rather than after like the title Returns implies (likely because placing the special after the final episode would've been impossible in continuity due to how Go-Busters ends). Characters Go-Busters Dobutsu Sentai Go-Busters Allies *Takeshi Kuroki *Miho Nakamura *Toru Morishita Villains *Great Demon Lord Azazel *Kikai Empire Mechalius **Machine Empress Trange Star **Shoveloader **Maintanloader **alternate Steamloid **alternate Fanloid **alternate Cutterloid **alternate Wataameloid Other *Kami-sama (God) Cast * : * : * : * : * /Traveler: * , School Teacher * , : * : * : * : * : * : *Kami-sama (God): * : * : * : * : *Shoveloader (voice): *Student: , *Auto Program Voice (voice): Kanako Seno *GB Custom Visor/Tategami Lioh AI (voice): Ichirou Mizuki *Narration: Shoo Munekata Songs *'OP:' Busters Ready Go! *Doubutsu Sentai Go-Busters *'ED:': Kizuna ~ Go-Busters! Notes * Cheeda Nick's diagram of the parallel universes is reminiscent of the diagrams drawn by Kozukozu Mita to make sense of things in Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger, specifically her diagram of the three dimensions (Reality, the Delusion World, and Hatte's World) in episode 11 of Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Season Tsuu. * The concept of an alternate version of a Sentai team was previously used in The Return of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: Special Act, even involving the alternate team gaining an animal theme (the difference in Shinkenger: Special Act is that the alternate team is just an illusion of Ryunosuke Ikenami. * Although both Syo Jinnai and Ayame Misaki appear in this special, Enter and Escape do not nor do any representatives of the Vaglass. * During the closing credits, Nick, Gorisaki, and Usada all appear alongside their voice actors (who each make live-action appearances in the special). *Starting with this V-Cinema special, a new member (whose costume is the same as a previous hero simply repainted) is introduced into the team. This trend is followed with Kyoryu Navy, ToQ 7gou and MidoNinger in the next few V-Cinemas. * Not counting the special DVD and video specials, this is the last Super Sentai film to only get a DVD release (although when the series, theatrical summer film, and team-up with the Gokaigers were all released on both Blu-Ray and DVD).This only counts movies MADE as movies. The J.A.K.Q., Battle Fever J, and Flashman: Big Rally! Titan Boy! movies have not been released on Blu-Ray and the four ''Gorenger'' movies edited from episodes were released as bonus features in Gorenger's Blu-ray sets a year after the V-Cinema set.Among films made specifically made as movies, this film was released as of the Super Sentai V-Cinema & Movie Blu-ray 2005-2013 set and came out at the same time as every film from the ''Magiranger'' movie to the ''Shinkenger: Special Act'' V-Cinema as well as ''Goseiger: Last Epic''. Go-Busters Returns still technically counts as the last film released on Blu-Ray as it's the newest film on the set. External Links *Toei Video Category:Sentai Movies Category:Sentai Epilogue Movie